CCPA article in the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star

A group of girls in sports kits are moving slowly hand in hand down the steep rocks from the small village of Kfair towards a football pitch constructed on top of pounded rubble. Two old mini-buses packed with happy children are arriving at the same time. The small stadium is suddenly full of energy; children are singing, running around and impatiently waiting to play football. The morning sun is warming the small stadium and the surrounding mountains in the South Eastern part of Lebanon, which in recent years has several times been scene of conflicts, invasions and wars. These troubles seem far away today when a CCPA Mini Tournament is about to take place.

 

The event is organized by Hussein, the local CCPA coordinator, in cooperation with eight volunteering coaches from villages in the region. Hussein is welcoming the more than 80 children from four Popular Clubs and tells them about the idea of the Mini Tournament: “ Here we don’t play club against club, but we are mixing and play together. We play without results and without winners - or actually everybody wins!”

 

 

The aim of the project is to establish Popular Clubs all over Lebanon as a means of getting people to meet. Normally, only children of the elite with money or the right contacts get the opportunity to participate in organized sports in Lebanon, but this new project builds upon principles of fairness, fun and is open to everyone.

 

Wafi, a coach from Kfair, enjoyed being on the seminars with CCPA: “ I met a lot of new friends. I met Palestinians, Druze, Christians, Muslims and even people from Denmark. We all came from different backgrounds and with different political opinions, but we had no problems at all. We had so much fun, and I am still in contact with a lot of them.” The contacts made during the seminars have sparked cooperation between coaches and clubs from all over Lebanon, and they are now organizing matches, Mini Tournaments and other activities together.

 

For Souhail, a coach from Hay al-Selloum, a suburb of Beirut, the CCPA seminar was the first step to bringing children from his neighborhood together with children from other parts of Lebanon. Even though the Shiite district of Hay el-Selloum and the Christian area of Ein el-Remeneh are located within a short distance of each other, there are huge sectarian and political differences between the residents and only very little friendly interaction. In spite of the childrens’ fear, the Mini Tournament went well and the members of the two clubs bonded instantly. 12 year old Fouad from Ein el-Remeneh was happy about getting the opportunity to meet the other club: “ They are good boys – just like us.”

 

This is an example of how a football can contribute to break down barriers created by decades of fear, conflict and stereotyping. Establishing activities like this is one way to give people access to other people, who would otherwise not meet due to sectarian, political and geographical divisions. Thanks to activities like the Mini Tournaments children, coaches and parents are crossing these lines of division and now meet regularly.

 

At the stadium in Kfair, Christian, Muslim and Druze children from the entire region are playing together. Coordinator Hussein explains: “ Bringing the children to new places and to meet new friends opens up their mentality. They play, have fun and learn about tolerance. The sport unites us and when we are playing football, we forget all our problems for a while and see that we are all the same no matter religion, political party or even if you are a boy or a girl.”

 

Unlike the existing clubs in Lebanon, CCPA is focusing on involving all children, regardless of gender, talent, social standing, or religions or ethnic distinctions. The Popular Club project is working to support the development of functioning civil society based on diversity and equality, where girls and women are encouraged to take an active part to promote gender equality and non-discrimination. In many rural and conservative areas of the country, women do not play an active role in the public sphere, and it is not easy to include girls in sports and other public activities. But CCPA and the coaches have worked hard to attract girls to the football pitch, coordinator Hussein says: “ It is a new thing for the girls themselves, but the parents and the boys are also sceptical. We have to insist on it. It is very important!”

 

In order to make the Popular Clubs sustainable, it is vital to include the parents and the local community. At the Mini Tournament in Kfair several parents are involved; some drive the mini buses, others arrange water and snacks for the children and a few are just there to enjoy the activities. Abu Omar, father of one of the participating children, says: “ We like to help here. This is so good for the kids – and for us, their families. CCPA is really making a small revolution, a sports revolution, which can change the focus of our society from racism and sectarianism to health, fun and friendships.”

/JJP